


reality check

by cupsofstardust



Series: new and improved mystic messenger [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Female MC - Freeform, Hope u enjoy lol, She/her pronouns, day 9 rewrite, i did heavily base this on my own feelings during this part, i thought mc was too wishy washy, kind of, mc is righteous as hell, so i gave her more emotion, spoilers for 707 route obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-09 23:33:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16459154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupsofstardust/pseuds/cupsofstardust
Summary: "I can take you pushing me away, and hurting me, and yelling at me, but the minute you do it to one of my friends—toYoosung Kim,of all people—that's where I draw the line, Luciel Choi. Don't youdaremake him feel half as bad as you've made me feel, because he's thelastperson who deserves that."





	reality check

**Author's Note:**

> in which mc gives seven a reality check

Seven has been in the apartment for two days. 

He's been in the apartment for two days, but it's nothing like she imagined it would be. He's distant, cold, and mean, and she has a hard time reconciling this man in front of her, whose eyes might as well be glued to his computer screen, with the vibrant character in the chatrooms. She knows that man is in him somewhere, and she figures maybe he's just nervous to express that. She's willing to wait for him to thaw. 

She's on the couch, having been told by Seven hundreds of times to be quiet and leave him alone, but every one of these reprimands would be punctuated by a "But stay where I can see you, so I know you're okay." 

The bedroom was out, then, as it's the only room besides the bathroom that has a door. And since the apartment is fairly open concept, he should be able to see her if she's in any of the other rooms.

So she reclines on the couch and fiddles with her phone, answering a few emails from potential party guests. When it pings she blinks, startled, then smiles as the RFA chat notification graces the screen. Without her consent, the smile widens when she sees Seven's name in the list of members active in the chatroom. In fact, it's only Seven. 

But she thought he was working...? Belatedly, she notices the absence of clacking keys behind her. 

She opens the chatroom and finds Seven typing. He stops for a moment, as though he noticed her entrance, then starts up typing again, his message obviously different than it was going to be before she showed up. 

> 707: [MC].  
>  707: Hello. 
> 
> [MC]: Hi... How's work going? 
> 
> 707: It's going well.  
>  707: Jumin...  
>  707: plans to keep going with the party...  
>  707: But RFA won't mean anything now that the leader is a liar...  
>  707: I guess he's still hoping.
> 
> _Yoosung★ has entered the chat room_
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven!!  
>  Yoosung★: Are you okay?  
>  Yoosung★: How's your sanity? Okay?
> 
> 707: Yeah. Don't worry about me.  
>  707: Just be careful.
> 
> Yoosung★: T_T  
>  Yoosung★: Oh,  
>  Yoosung★: hey, [MC].
> 
> [MC]: Yoosung, you understand how Seven feels, right? 
> 
> Yoosung★: Of course!  
>  Yoosung★: I understand everything that Seven said.  
>  Yoosung★: I understand 100%  
>  Yoosung★: that there's something more important than the party.  
>  Yoosung★: Seven!  
>  Yoosung★: Is there anything I can do  
>  Yoosung★: with catching the hacker... or finding information?
> 
> 707: No. 
> 
> Yoosung★: Still,  
>  Yoosung★: We might find some clues on why Rika committed suicide!  
>  Yoosung★: Please, let me help with anything!
> 
> 707: I appreciate it, but it's okay.  
>  707: You'd better not be involved in the RFA now.
> 
> [MC]: Still, don't you think there will be something he can help with? 
> 
> Yoosung★: Yeah~  
>  Yoosung★: Seven.  
>  Yoosung★: I really mean it.  
>  Yoosung★: I can put myself at risk if it's to find the truth

She smiles at the messages; Yoosung is always so earnest. She finds it rather endearing. 

> 707: Yoosung... I'm sorry to break your encouragement and all that,  
>  707: but this isn't just dangerous.  
>  707: RFA is already buried deep in V's secrets.
> 
> Yoosung★: I can handle it... 
> 
> 707: Don't think it's that easy. 
> 
> Yoosung★: I'm stronger than you think.  
>  Yoosung★: We can join forces~
> 
> 707: I said I don't need your help… 

She frowns, biting at her lip. He's only trying to be a friend. Why is Seven pushing him away so much? Then again, this isn't really surprising after the way he's been acting around her. She starts typing a response to defend him but stops when she sees Yoosung typing. 

> Yoosung★: I know that I won't be a huge help...  
>  Yoosung★: but I'm sure there's something I can do!  
>  Yoosung★: Can't I go the apartment too?

She pauses, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. She taps out a quick message, glancing over her shoulder at the ever-stoic Seven before she hits send.

> [MC]: I don't think that's a good idea... 

She glances behind her again, noticing how Seven's rigid shoulders relax a little.

> Yoosung★: Why? It's safer with two gatekeepers! 
> 
> 707: You're seriously  
>  707: being pathetic right now...  
>  707: I'm not just working for the RFA now.  
>  707: I'm working to find my brother.
> 
> Yoosung★: It's all the same thing  
>  Yoosung★: right now.  
>  Yoosung★: We must help each other to get through this!
> 
> 707: I don't want to get help from anyone in the RFA... and never will.  
>  707: Besides,  
>  707: I plan to leave RFA as soon as [MC]'s safety is secured.

Her head snaps up and she turns to stare at him. His shoulders tense again and he doesn't look at her. He never looks at her.

"You're kidding, right?" she asks incredulously. When he doesn't answer, she presses further. "Seven? This is a joke, right? You aren't really leaving?"

She can tell he wants her to leave him alone but he isn't working right now, so she should be allowed to talk to him... Right? She turns her attention back to her phone when it pings with a new message.

> Yoosung★: What?  
>  Yoosung★: akjh 
> 
> 707: I was about to mention it soon. 
> 
> Yoosung★: Wait. 

Well, if he won't listen to her outside the chatroom, she'll have to do it in the chatroom.

> [MC]: Seven, are you serious? 
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven... What's up with you?  
>  Yoosung★: You're upset with V right?
> 
> 707: It's not that simple.  
>  707: I already decided to leave.
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven.  
>  Yoosung★: I hated V ever since Rika left.  
>  Yoosung★: So I really sincerely understand how you feel...  
>  Yoosung★: but you leaving the RFA  
>  Yoosung★: doesn't mean that you're never going to talk to us, right?
> 
> 707: You're right... I'm going to forget everyone here. 

She has to bite her lip to keep her mouth shut, and she can already feel the sharp prick of tears forming behind her eyes. She looks back at him again, blinking to keep the tears at bay for just another moment. "Seven? Please answer me," she whispers, her voice breaking. He doesn't.

> [MC]: Why did you suddenly decide that...? 
> 
> 707: It was going to be like this anyways.  
>  707: What else can a secret agent do?
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven  
>  Yoosung★: You're not serious, right?  
>  Yoosung★: You're scaring me...
> 
> 707: I meant everything I said.  
>  707: So don't try to get involved with what I do.  
>  707: It will have nothing to do with you.
> 
> Yoosung★: What's wrong with you? 
> 
> 707: I should have said that this would be the ending all along. 
> 
> Yoosung★: What are you talking about...? 
> 
> 707: I am sorry to mention it so abruptly...  
>  707: but I'm going to disappear soon anyways, even feeling sorry is meaningless. 

She clenches her teeth and swallows hard around the lump in her throat, the first hot tears slipping down her cheeks and splattering on her phone. She rubs them away with her thumb.

> Yoosung★: Seven....  
>  Yoosung★: This si ssriuosyl 

He's crying too, she knows it. She wishes she could hug him and tell him it will be okay. She wishes someone would do the same for her. Yoosung seems to compose himself before he continues.

> Yoosung★: Seven.  
>  Yoosung★: I get that you're really mad at V. 
> 
> 707: No... It's not just that. 

She looks over her shoulder at him, tears blurring her vision. Trying to breathe evenly is hard when all she wants to do is sob but he can't know she's crying. He can't. If this is the decision he's making, she doesn't want to force him into an even more difficult situation. Lord knows she's been hard enough to deal with since he showed up.

> 707: I've always been like this. 
> 
> Yoosung★: Seven.  
>  Yoosung★: I'm getting mad.
> 
> 707: As you know,  
>  707: I can never have an identity.  
>  707: So having friends,  
>  707: is only temporary.
> 
> Yoosung★: You're saying that all the time we spent together  
>  Yoosung★: was just temporary?
> 
> 707: Yes. 

Enough with just watching. She has to say something. She wipes the tears from her eyes and taps out a message.

> [MC]: That's too harsh... 
> 
> Yoosung★: This is ridiculous.  
>  Yoosung★: You bragging about your new car,  
>  Yoosung★: trashing your agency boss,  
>  Yoosung★: going to the movies with me  
>  Yoosung★: were all temporary?

New tears form but suddenly, she's no longer crying for herself. She's crying for him, for the friendship he thought he had, for the friendship he _did_ have, and she feels a flare of anger among the tears. This isn't fair. She can handle him being distant with her; they've only known each other for a little over a week. But Yoosung... Yoosung has known him for years... This isn't fair! Tears splatter on her phone, the impact loud in the quiet room. She feels Seven's gaze on her briefly before he decides that he doesn't care.

> 707: They are all memories that will become meaningless to me. 

But they'll never be meaningless to Yoosung! Can't he understand that? She clenches her teeth and draws in a shaky breath. She feels Seven's eyes on her briefly once again, this time a curious glance, but she doesn't acknowledge it. She can't acknowledge it, because she knows if he sees her crying he'll freak out like he did last time.

> Yoosung★: I can't believe this.  
>  Yoosung★: I don't know how great that agency of yours is,  
>  Yoosung★: but why are you only thinking about yourself?  
>  Yoosung★: What do we do now!?
> 
> 707: You sort out your feelings on your own.  
>  707: I will too.
> 
> Yoosung★: I can't believe  
>  Yoosung★: that we're having this conversation.  
>  Yoosung★: It was set from the beginning that our friendship would be temporary?
> 
> 707: Yes. 
> 
> Yoosung★: Can't you just say that you're leaving because you're upset with V?  
>  Yoosung★: Can't you just say that?!!
> 
> 707: It's not just because of that? 

She shakes her head. That's not the _point_ , Seven. 

> Yoosung★: Then it's because you're a secret agent!? 
> 
> 707: What use would it be for me to explain?  
>  707: I'm saying the same thing, but I was supposed to disappear in the first place.
> 
> [MC]: So my feelings mean nothing to you, Seven...?
> 
> 707: No, they don't. 

Shocker. Despite having known the answer already, fresh tears form in her eyes. She has to bite her lip to keep a sob in, the words on the screen a painful reminder of how much she likes him, _loves_ him, even; a painful reminder that he won't ever say he feels the same. Seeing it there, in plain text on her phone makes her heart shatter. She thought... maybe....

> Yoosung★: Seven...  
>  Yoosung★: [MC] might feel hurt! 

He's still worrying for her even though he's hurting just as much... God, he doesn't deserve this. None of them deserve this, but least of all Yoosung. He's the sweetest person she's ever met.

> Yoosung★: You were always so cold? 
> 
> 707: Yeah. 

No. He wasn't. If nothing else, she is firm in her belief that Seven is a good person. Or that he can be.

> Yoosung★: I'm so shocked.  
>  Yoosung★: Who are you...? 

_Yoosung..._

> Yoosung★: What the hell do you do!? 
> 
> 707: You...  
>  707: don't know anything.
> 
> Yoosung★: Who are you to do this? 
> 
> 707: Where I was born 

She can feel him getting angry behind her, and her own shoulders tense in response, a sort of fight-or-flight reaction. But she still doesn't move.

> Yoosung★: Why are you deciding everything on your own!? 
> 
> 707: who my parents are  
>  707: what V's been telling me...  
>  707: what I do at the intelligence agency  
>  707: You don't know anything about me.
> 
> Yoosung★: No, I don't!!!  
>  Yoosung★: I thought I understood you  
>  Yoosung★: even without knowing those things, but I guess I was wrong.
> 
> 707: Yeah, you were. 
> 
> Yoosung★: The Seven I know  
>  Yoosung★: was always bright and fun,  
>  Yoosung★: did everything he had to do,
> 
> 707: I'm not that person. 
> 
> Yoosung★: and always said weird things.  
>  Yoosung★: But he was still warm and kind,  
>  Yoosung★: always worried about us despite all the work,
> 
> 707: I said it's all temporary! 
> 
> Yoosung★: and helped Zen succeed from the back,  
>  Yoosung★: that's the Seven I knew...
> 
> 707: So what? 
> 
> Yoosung★: What do you mean so what!?  
>  Yoosung★: I want to ask you this.  
>  Yoosung★: Unless you erase my memories,  
>  Yoosung★: I will never be able to forget you!

The tears come harder now, and she hunches her shoulders. Her hair falls around her face like a protective curtain, shielding her from Seven.

> [MC]: Yoosung... 
> 
> Yoosung★: I never thought that the Seven I knew would say these things...  
>  Yoosung★: I'm so jealous that it's so easy for you to  
>  Yoosung★: forget about us and live a new life  
>  Yoosung★: when we can't.
> 
> 707: Yoosung,  
>  707: [MC],
> 
> Yoosung★: It hurts so much.  
>  Yoosung★: Why are you...
> 
> 707: Stop it.  
>  707: Both of you  
>  707: would never understand me.
> 
> _707 has left the chatroom_
> 
> Yoosung★: ... 

She hears Seven drop his phone next to him and the clacking of his keyboard as he starts working again. She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and exhales, staring at the ellipsis Yoosung sent.

> [MC]: Yoosung... are you okay? 
> 
> Yoosung★: No. 

She isn't either, but she has to be. For him, and the others. She has to be positive and hopeful for them.

> Yoosung★: Who in the world could say that they are okay right now?  
>  Yoosung★: ...  
>  Yoosung★: I'll get going. 
> 
> _Yoosung★ has left the chatroom_

She stares at the messages before leaving the chatroom herself. Before she can lose her nerve, she dials Yoosung's number and puts the phone to her ear, listening to it ring. She gets up off the couch and takes the call into the bedroom where Seven won't hear her. She swears she feels his eyes on her as she leaves the room but she doesn't turn to check. Yoosung picks up and she can tell he's about to breakdown.

And she's right.

Yoosung breaks her heart with how hard he cries. She feels herself getting more and more pissed off with Seven for making him feel this way. Yoosung doesn't deserve to cry over the phone to a girl he's never met before. 

When the call ends, she makes a snap decision and, tossing her phone on the bed, storms back into the living room. Seven looks at her when he hears the door close, something akin to worry in his expression.

"Are you okay?" he asks, meeting her eyes for a brief second.

"How dare you. How _fucking_ dare you treat him like that," she says, her voice hard. 

Fear flickers over Seven's expression. "Uh..."

"Do you know what kind of phone call I just got out of? Do you know how _fucking_ heartbreaking it is to hear someone you care about _so much_ cry their heart out to you on the phone?"

Seven finally turns his full body to face her; he's trying to keep his expression neutral, but he's never seen her this angry before.

"I can take you pushing me away, and hurting me, and yelling at me, but the minute you do it to one of my friends—to _Yoosung Kim,_ of all people—that's where I draw the line, Luciel Choi. Don't you _dare_ make him feel half as bad as you've made me feel, because he's the _last_ person who deserves that."

An angry tear slips down her cheek but she doesn't bother to wipe it away. 

"I-I..." he stammers, watching the tear's progress down her face.

"How can you say you don't care about him, about any of them!? How can you look back on their kindness and their jokes and the things you've done together and just _not give a shit!"_

Guilt takes over his features, his cheeks flushing pink as he looks at his hands in his lap. Her heart is pounding in her chest, because she's never yelled at anyone like this before, but she isn't finished. 

"Fuck you if you think they're just going to throw away the friendships you made with them, and fuck you if you think I won't stand up for my friends when you hurt them because I sure as hell am not a pushover, Seven. I won't let you hurt them."

He's speechless. There's so much anger in her eyes, in her face. She's blazing like a wildfire, and it's because of him. He stares at his hands as he speaks.

"I'm sorry."

She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to him. To all of them."

"But I should apologize to you too. So... I'm sorry." He finally looks up at her to find that the anger has dissipated, and now she just looks tired. His heart twists; _he_ did this to her. He hangs his head again. It's his fault. She should stay away from him, all he does is hurt people.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it," she murmurs. "Because it isn't true."

He looks up at her again. "What... How...?"

The faintest hint of a smile graces her features. "I've been there before." She takes a chance, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek gently with her fingertips. When he gravitates towards the touch, her smile widens. His eyes search hers in question and she keeps her gaze locked on his. 

"It's okay to trust us," she whispers. "That's what we're here for."

Wordlessly, he nods. Then, realizing what's happening, he pulls away, shaking his head as if to clear it, and starts to turn back to his computer. 

"Please apologize to Yoosung," she says before turning away. 

She's about to enter the bedroom when she hears a quiet but genuine "Thank you." 

She smiles to herself. Maybe, just maybe, she'll get Seven to trust her.


End file.
